Would you rather....
Ever play "Would you Rather?" It's this torturous little game where you are given two completely undesireable options which you must choose between, and then explain why you chose one torment over the other. Example: "Would you rather eat a plate full of toenails or a plate full of hair?" A rational person would scream, "Neither!" But neither is not an option, so you pick one over the other and justify it with something ridiculous like, "I'd eat toenails because I prefer crunchy things over stringy ones." It's really quite absurd.
Well, there are some days I think I live in a "Would you Rather" game. Like today, when I was putting away groceries. The question in my head was, "Would you rather get all the groceries put away in a relatively quick manner without a screaming baby, or would you prefer to sanitize the cans of soda that he is gleefully rolling across the floor, building towers with, trying to stick in the freezer, putting on top of the trash can, and now rolling down the sliding glass door like a tall and verticle slide?"
Hmmmm. Let's think this through. On the plus side, if I let him play with those, I get to get something done and he is happy. On the negative side, I may never want to drink Diet Coke again as long as I live, and there's a possibility I'll miss one of those cans and it will explode in the freezer or spring a leak. Ponder, ponder....
"I'll sanitize the cans and successfully put away the groceries! Victory!"
Not too long after that, the question posed to me was, "Would you rather continue to be distracted by Facebook knowing the baby is playing in the bathroom that was mistakenly left open, or would you like to get up and stop him from putting the toilet brush in the dog's water dish....again?"
Again, ponder, ponder, ponder. On the plus side, my bathroom now smells like pine. It's blissful. On the minus side, I got there too late, the damage was done, and I discovered that by stepping in a very cold puddle in my socks! I hate it when that happens!!! LOL!!!
At this point, some of you are going, "Why on earth would you want to adopt another one?" Ha! Great question! But let's phrase it as a "Would you Rather," shall we?
"Would you rather have a nice quiet, settled and predictable life, or would you prefer one that is full of unexpected twists and turns, a little chaos, a lot of noise, and some messy spills along the way?"
No pondering necessary! I'll take the latter! Give me the chaos, the noise, the messes, and the adventure! I was not built for calm, quiet, and predictable!
Yes, the boys are rambunctious, exhausting, sometimes frustrating, and nothing short of a handful, but they can't help it. Ornrieness runs deep in their blood, on both sides of the family, and we wouldn't have them any other way! Along with the antics come moments of unspeakable joy and pride as we watch them developing from little characters into young men of character. They're learning to problem solve, to fix things, to clean up, and to care for one another. While I cleaned up the bathroom, the big boys gave the little one a bath. When I'm brave enough to clean up all the cans of soda, the boys and I will make a game out of the search. And when it's time to attack a really big challenge, like fundraising for and ultimately adopting a little sister, they'll be a part of that too!
And, in fact, they are doing their part. Allow me to brag on my little guys for just a moment, would you?
The Sheltons, as a family, are diligently seeking to sacrifice and save in a variety of ways. There are some things the boys don't have a choice in, like when Steve and I decide to sell a piece of furniture, or scale back on the amount of times we go out to eat. But there are other ways in which the boys have given as generously as their limited resources could allow them. They have done chores around the house or at their grandparents' house to earn money, which they have promptly put into the adoption change jar in the dining room. Tyler has put his tooth fairy money in the jar, (Trevor hasn't lost any teeth to have that opportunity yet), and they have both offered to put money from their birthdays or Christmas into it. As Trevor remarked one time before we even started this particular process ourselves, "What? The poor are more important than toys."
I am so proud that they are learning to be givers, to have compassion and empathy, and to think about the needs of others! Now, before anyone thinks I am a terrible parent who takes advantage of my children's soft hearts, I will also tell you that there are times I don't let them put their money into the jar. They need to know that there is some sort of balance here. They can give and care very deeply, and yet still save for things they want for themselves. We continue to live our lives and have adventures ouside of adoption. It's non-stop action around here!
The boys are also actively, insofar as they can, assisting in our fundraising in other ways. Today, they have been making calls to relatives and knocking on trusted neighbors' doors to ask if they would like to buy cookie dough to help them adopt a little sister. That may seem minor to you, but it's huge to me! It takes a lot of nerve to ring someone's doorbell and sell them something. But more than that, it takes a big heart to want to give up part of your play time to do that. I wish you could have heard the squeals of delight as the boys burst through the front door a little while ago screaming, "We got fifteen!" They had a goal to sell fifteen tubs and they weren't content until they did it! Yes, there was an incentive for hitting that mark, a little prize, but I am delighted by their willingness to do the work, to stick to it, and to see it through to the end. And now they're trying to do it again!
I think it is very important for them to feel that they're a part of the whole endeavor, and I pray that their hearts will remain hopeful and tender -- and that the whole process ends before they're twenty-five!
This is the part of the post where I usually tie in a scripture or a lesson that I've learned. You're probably thinking I'll go with something like, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it," but that's not where my thoughts are going at all. We've got a lot more "training" and a lot more "growing" to do, and I am no where near ready to call myself an expert.
Instead, I'm going to stick with the first chapter of James, which I quoted in the last post, picking up with the same verses and carrying forward just a bit further:
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
While the whole family is on this journey, and as I mentioned in the last post, sometimes it is trying, I feel a particular burden to pray for wisdom and guidance in every little step. I pray that God will help us to strike the balance between sacrificing for a future child and enjoying the children we have already. I pray that we will teach the boys to be kind and giving, and that they won't grow tired of the sacrifices and become resentful. I pray that I won't wear people out with my constant adoption babble and fundraising exploits. I pray for continued support from friends, family, and my church. And, I pray prayers of grattitude for the kindnesses we have been shown already. We thank God for every little victory, in this case, every tub of cookie dough that is sold, and we trust in a God who gives generously to all without finding fault.
Again, I'd like to thank those of you who are sharing the journey, and who read this blog. You mean more to us than you know. We love you all and we covet your prayers. We consider this task "pure joy" and there is no where else we would rather be!
Well, there are some days I think I live in a "Would you Rather" game. Like today, when I was putting away groceries. The question in my head was, "Would you rather get all the groceries put away in a relatively quick manner without a screaming baby, or would you prefer to sanitize the cans of soda that he is gleefully rolling across the floor, building towers with, trying to stick in the freezer, putting on top of the trash can, and now rolling down the sliding glass door like a tall and verticle slide?"
Hmmmm. Let's think this through. On the plus side, if I let him play with those, I get to get something done and he is happy. On the negative side, I may never want to drink Diet Coke again as long as I live, and there's a possibility I'll miss one of those cans and it will explode in the freezer or spring a leak. Ponder, ponder....
"I'll sanitize the cans and successfully put away the groceries! Victory!"
Not too long after that, the question posed to me was, "Would you rather continue to be distracted by Facebook knowing the baby is playing in the bathroom that was mistakenly left open, or would you like to get up and stop him from putting the toilet brush in the dog's water dish....again?"
Again, ponder, ponder, ponder. On the plus side, my bathroom now smells like pine. It's blissful. On the minus side, I got there too late, the damage was done, and I discovered that by stepping in a very cold puddle in my socks! I hate it when that happens!!! LOL!!!
At this point, some of you are going, "Why on earth would you want to adopt another one?" Ha! Great question! But let's phrase it as a "Would you Rather," shall we?
"Would you rather have a nice quiet, settled and predictable life, or would you prefer one that is full of unexpected twists and turns, a little chaos, a lot of noise, and some messy spills along the way?"
No pondering necessary! I'll take the latter! Give me the chaos, the noise, the messes, and the adventure! I was not built for calm, quiet, and predictable!
Yes, the boys are rambunctious, exhausting, sometimes frustrating, and nothing short of a handful, but they can't help it. Ornrieness runs deep in their blood, on both sides of the family, and we wouldn't have them any other way! Along with the antics come moments of unspeakable joy and pride as we watch them developing from little characters into young men of character. They're learning to problem solve, to fix things, to clean up, and to care for one another. While I cleaned up the bathroom, the big boys gave the little one a bath. When I'm brave enough to clean up all the cans of soda, the boys and I will make a game out of the search. And when it's time to attack a really big challenge, like fundraising for and ultimately adopting a little sister, they'll be a part of that too!
And, in fact, they are doing their part. Allow me to brag on my little guys for just a moment, would you?
The Sheltons, as a family, are diligently seeking to sacrifice and save in a variety of ways. There are some things the boys don't have a choice in, like when Steve and I decide to sell a piece of furniture, or scale back on the amount of times we go out to eat. But there are other ways in which the boys have given as generously as their limited resources could allow them. They have done chores around the house or at their grandparents' house to earn money, which they have promptly put into the adoption change jar in the dining room. Tyler has put his tooth fairy money in the jar, (Trevor hasn't lost any teeth to have that opportunity yet), and they have both offered to put money from their birthdays or Christmas into it. As Trevor remarked one time before we even started this particular process ourselves, "What? The poor are more important than toys."
I am so proud that they are learning to be givers, to have compassion and empathy, and to think about the needs of others! Now, before anyone thinks I am a terrible parent who takes advantage of my children's soft hearts, I will also tell you that there are times I don't let them put their money into the jar. They need to know that there is some sort of balance here. They can give and care very deeply, and yet still save for things they want for themselves. We continue to live our lives and have adventures ouside of adoption. It's non-stop action around here!
The boys are also actively, insofar as they can, assisting in our fundraising in other ways. Today, they have been making calls to relatives and knocking on trusted neighbors' doors to ask if they would like to buy cookie dough to help them adopt a little sister. That may seem minor to you, but it's huge to me! It takes a lot of nerve to ring someone's doorbell and sell them something. But more than that, it takes a big heart to want to give up part of your play time to do that. I wish you could have heard the squeals of delight as the boys burst through the front door a little while ago screaming, "We got fifteen!" They had a goal to sell fifteen tubs and they weren't content until they did it! Yes, there was an incentive for hitting that mark, a little prize, but I am delighted by their willingness to do the work, to stick to it, and to see it through to the end. And now they're trying to do it again!
I think it is very important for them to feel that they're a part of the whole endeavor, and I pray that their hearts will remain hopeful and tender -- and that the whole process ends before they're twenty-five!
This is the part of the post where I usually tie in a scripture or a lesson that I've learned. You're probably thinking I'll go with something like, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it," but that's not where my thoughts are going at all. We've got a lot more "training" and a lot more "growing" to do, and I am no where near ready to call myself an expert.
Instead, I'm going to stick with the first chapter of James, which I quoted in the last post, picking up with the same verses and carrying forward just a bit further:
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
While the whole family is on this journey, and as I mentioned in the last post, sometimes it is trying, I feel a particular burden to pray for wisdom and guidance in every little step. I pray that God will help us to strike the balance between sacrificing for a future child and enjoying the children we have already. I pray that we will teach the boys to be kind and giving, and that they won't grow tired of the sacrifices and become resentful. I pray that I won't wear people out with my constant adoption babble and fundraising exploits. I pray for continued support from friends, family, and my church. And, I pray prayers of grattitude for the kindnesses we have been shown already. We thank God for every little victory, in this case, every tub of cookie dough that is sold, and we trust in a God who gives generously to all without finding fault.
Again, I'd like to thank those of you who are sharing the journey, and who read this blog. You mean more to us than you know. We love you all and we covet your prayers. We consider this task "pure joy" and there is no where else we would rather be!
Excuse the mess; the children are making memories...
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